“There’s an escalation in price and interest in the demand for live sports, but we’re not at its peak. We’ve still got runway for growth”
By Nileena Sunil
Advertisers are now paying over $8 million for spots at this year’s Super Bowl, according to a Bloomberg report. The game on Feb. 9 between Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on Fox has been sold out for ads, with over ten of them fetching the top price.
Notable advertisers include automakers, food and beverage, AI, and pharmaceutical companies. While Fox sold its Super Bowl inventory months in advance, broadcasters got extra ad spots during delays in games.
READ: Highlighting the challenges in cybersecurity innovation: In conversation with Securify’s Bhaumik Shah (January 29, 2025)
“What was unique to this Super Bowl, or this marketplace, was we had a lot more people that weren’t in the game at all, all of a sudden be like, no, no, I have to get in the game,” Fox advertising executive Mark Evans told Sports Business Journal.
Much of the ad inventory for the Super Bowl was sold during Fox’s Upfront presentation to investors in spring 2024. The price of each unit saw an increase when it became clear that open spots were dwindling. While typically pricing for Super Bowl ads can increase by about $100,000 as remaining inventory lessens and game day approaches, the price jump this year was closer to $500,000 per spot.
The cost has gone up from the $7 million price tag to secure an ad spot during last year’s Super Bowl. This is in keeping with how the cost for ad spots have consistently increased over the years, going from $2.95 million in 2010 to $8 million in 2025.
The scramble for ad-time during one of the country’s biggest sporting events should come as no surprise, even if the exact figure is mind-boggling. Live sporting events continue to gather some of the largest audiences, even as audiences for cable TV shrink, thus it is unsurprising that advertisers are willing to pay so much for a spot.
READ: Search and interact with data effortlessly using AI, CEO Dev Roy discusses IntraIntel.ai (January 8, 2025
“If I learned anything, it’s that we’re in a period now where the live sporting event, where people and families come together to watch, is that much more coveted,” said Mark Evans, executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports. “There’s an escalation in price and interest in the demand for live sports, but we’re not at its peak. We’ve still got runway for growth.”